50th Anniversary Mustang: 2014 New York International Auto Show

Saturday

Mar 29, 2014 at 12:01 AMMar 29, 2014 at 10:44 PM

In keeping with the exclusivity of both King Kong and the original 1965 Pony Car, the Ford Motor Company has elected to display a 2015 Ford Mustang Convertible atop the Empire State Building during the 2014 New York International Auto Show, taking place from April 16 through 27, 2014 at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, New York, U.S.A.

The observation deck of the Empire State Building is located on the eighty-sixth floor making placement of the 50th Anniversary Mustang anything but routine.

The height of this incredible feat makes placement with a crane impossible, since most super cranes reach heights of only about fifty-stories. Helicopter placement is also impossible due to the configuration of the roof decking and close proximity of the different layers to one another. That leaves Ford engineers looking back to the 1964 World’s Fair when the original Mustang was brought up using the building’s elevator network.

Unfortunately, the building (built in 1931) was not designed with elevators that can accommodate an automobile, as are many modern buildings. In 1964, when the original Mustang debuted, the car was cut into three sections in order to make the trip eighty-six floors upward. Despite modern day technology the 2015 Ford Mustang will suffer a similar fate as Ford personnel work in conjunction with New York State officials and Empire State Building staff members to move the Mustang into position safely, while ensuring that it makes the best possible impression when it is displayed to Empire State Building visitors on April 16 and 17, from 8 a.m. until 2 a.m. on the observation deck. Mustang chief engineer Dave Pericak said, “Like all good craftsmen our team is measuring twice to make sure that we only have to cut once to get the Mustang safely to its destination on the fifty-sixth floor.”

The 2015 Ford Mustang is both longer and wider than its ancestor making the project even harder to complete. Engineers have used computer generated models and templates to determine exactly where to separate the pieces so that the car can be loaded into specially designed crates for transportation to the building and then on to the observation deck. These crates must not only protect the car but also fit into the elevators, as well. Once the car arrives on the observation deck it must be reassembled within a 6-hour window, which is the approximate amount of time which will be afforded Ford technicians to accomplish the task.

Mark Fields, Ford Motor Company chief operating officer, stated, “New York is one of the greatest cities in the World and it is the place where the Ford Mustang story began fifty-years ago. We are thrilled to be visiting the architectural landmark that has been the heart of the Manhattan skyline for eighty-three-years with the newest generation of the car that is the soul of Ford Motor Company.”

Simultaneously beginning April 16 and going on through April 20, the Mustang Club of America will hold its official International Celebration. Mustang owners from every nation will gather together at two locations in the U.S. in support of the iconic Mustang by displaying the flags of their country. Thousands of International and American Mustang owners and lovers will descend on Charlotte Motor Speedway (in Concorde, North Carolina) and Las Vegas Motor Speedway (in Las Vegas, Nevada) to show their support and admiration for the 50th-Anniversary of this legendary car.

2015 Ford Mustang

The new Mustang stands to be the most advanced version of this innovative sports car to date. A redesigned exterior package offers an even sleeker appearance which trends away from the retrospective styling of the last decade. The more aerodynamic shark-like look with deeply contoured lines and lowered roof, deck lid, and hood give the Mustang a menacingly athletic appearance, while the lowered center of gravity (about 1.5-inches) yields an edgy competitive feel. In the rear, wider proportions with tri-bar taillights and fastback shape provides a more muscular performance aesthetic than the current model.

The interior is redesigned, as well. Upgraded materials accompany the restyling along with a smaller, tilting and telescoping (finally) steering column.

The 2015 Ford Mustang offers three distinctively different engine choices. The first is a turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder. Taking notes from the Turbo Coupe Thunderbirds of the mid-1980s, this little four-cylinder is expected to generate in excess of 300-hp and 300 lb.-ft. of torque. A slightly detuned version of the current 3.7-liter EcoBoost V6 engine will also be offered as standard equipment. It should produce 300-hp and 270 lb.-ft. of torque. Finally, the 5.0-liter V8 option offered in GT level Mustangs is thought to manufacture 420-hp and 390 lb.-ft. of torque. All engine choices are available with a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters.

In keeping with the exclusivity of both King Kong and the original 1965 Pony Car, the Ford Motor Company has elected to display a 2015 Ford Mustang Convertible atop the Empire State Building during the 2014 New York International Auto Show, taking place from April 16 through 27, 2014 at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, New York, U.S.A.
The observation deck of the Empire State Building is located on the eighty-sixth floor making placement of the 50th Anniversary Mustang anything but routine.
The height of this incredible feat makes placement with a crane impossible, since most super cranes reach heights of only about fifty-stories. Helicopter placement is also impossible due to the configuration of the roof decking and close proximity of the different layers to one another. That leaves Ford engineers looking back to the 1964 World’s Fair when the original Mustang was brought up using the building’s elevator network.
Unfortunately, the building (built in 1931) was not designed with elevators that can accommodate an automobile, as are many modern buildings. In 1964, when the original Mustang debuted, the car was cut into three sections in order to make the trip eighty-six floors upward. Despite modern day technology the 2015 Ford Mustang will suffer a similar fate as Ford personnel work in conjunction with New York State officials and Empire State Building staff members to move the Mustang into position safely, while ensuring that it makes the best possible impression when it is displayed to Empire State Building visitors on April 16 and 17, from 8 a.m. until 2 a.m. on the observation deck. Mustang chief engineer Dave Pericak said, “Like all good craftsmen our team is measuring twice to make sure that we only have to cut once to get the Mustang safely to its destination on the fifty-sixth floor.”
The 2015 Ford Mustang is both longer and wider than its ancestor making the project even harder to complete. Engineers have used computer generated models and templates to determine exactly where to separate the pieces so that the car can be loaded into specially designed crates for transportation to the building and then on to the observation deck. These crates must not only protect the car but also fit into the elevators, as well. Once the car arrives on the observation deck it must be reassembled within a 6-hour window, which is the approximate amount of time which will be afforded Ford technicians to accomplish the task.
Mark Fields, Ford Motor Company chief operating officer, stated, “New York is one of the greatest cities in the World and it is the place where the Ford Mustang story began fifty-years ago. We are thrilled to be visiting the architectural landmark that has been the heart of the Manhattan skyline for eighty-three-years with the newest generation of the car that is the soul of Ford Motor Company.”
Simultaneously beginning April 16 and going on through April 20, the Mustang Club of America will hold its official International Celebration. Mustang owners from every nation will gather together at two locations in the U.S. in support of the iconic Mustang by displaying the flags of their country. Thousands of International and American Mustang owners and lovers will descend on Charlotte Motor Speedway (in Concorde, North Carolina) and Las Vegas Motor Speedway (in Las Vegas, Nevada) to show their support and admiration for the 50th-Anniversary of this legendary car.
2015 Ford Mustang
The new Mustang stands to be the most advanced version of this innovative sports car to date. A redesigned exterior package offers an even sleeker appearance which trends away from the retrospective styling of the last decade. The more aerodynamic shark-like look with deeply contoured lines and lowered roof, deck lid, and hood give the Mustang a menacingly athletic appearance, while the lowered center of gravity (about 1.5-inches) yields an edgy competitive feel. In the rear, wider proportions with tri-bar taillights and fastback shape provides a more muscular performance aesthetic than the current model.
The interior is redesigned, as well. Upgraded materials accompany the restyling along with a smaller, tilting and telescoping (finally) steering column.
The 2015 Ford Mustang offers three distinctively different engine choices. The first is a turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder. Taking notes from the Turbo Coupe Thunderbirds of the mid-1980s, this little four-cylinder is expected to generate in excess of 300-hp and 300 lb.-ft. of torque. A slightly detuned version of the current 3.7-liter EcoBoost V6 engine will also be offered as standard equipment. It should produce 300-hp and 270 lb.-ft. of torque. Finally, the 5.0-liter V8 option offered in GT level Mustangs is thought to manufacture 420-hp and 390 lb.-ft. of torque. All engine choices are available with a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters.

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